2009 schedule released
The Wild Things released their 2009 schedule Thursday. Here are the highlights:
* The Frontier League usually runs from the Wednesday before Memorial Day through the Wednesday after Labor Day - a 14-week span. Because of when the holidays fall in 2009, there are 15 weeks this year. The league chose to keep the 96-game format, switch opening day to the Friday before Memorial Day, end the season the day before Labor Day and add more off days. There are 12 off days, including the four-day all-star break. The Wild Things will be off on four consecutive Mondays in August.
* The season begins Friday, May 22 and the Wild Things will open at home against the Avon, Ohio, team (yet to be named) that will be managed by John Massarelli. The Avon team is currently holding a name-the-team contest. I wonder how many people will suggest the Avon Callings? Word is ownership wants a regional name, such as the Lake Erie Somethings or the Erie Somethings.
* Washington begins with a three-game home series, is off on Memorial Day and then heads to St. Louis for games at Gateway and River City. In past seasons, interdivision play didn't start until mid-June.
* The Wild Things will be at home every other weekend the entire season.
* For the first time since 2004, Washington will be on the road for the July 4th holiday, playing July 3-5 at Kalamazoo. In my opinion, the Wild Things' best home date is July 3. It always produces one of the top 2 or 3 crowds of the year.
* The Wild Things will be opposite high school football when they play at home Friday, Sept. 4 against Florence. It's the opening game in the season's final series.
* The Sunday, Sept. 6 season finale against Florence has a 2:05 p.m. start. That's probably not a good idea because the game could be opposite the Steelers' season opener. The game also is one of two home afternoon games, the other being a noon start June 23 against the Oakland County Cruisers.
Here is the link to the 2009 schedule (Note: the team called Midwest on the schedule will be the Oakland County Cruisers):
2009 Wild Things schedule.
* The Frontier League usually runs from the Wednesday before Memorial Day through the Wednesday after Labor Day - a 14-week span. Because of when the holidays fall in 2009, there are 15 weeks this year. The league chose to keep the 96-game format, switch opening day to the Friday before Memorial Day, end the season the day before Labor Day and add more off days. There are 12 off days, including the four-day all-star break. The Wild Things will be off on four consecutive Mondays in August.
* The season begins Friday, May 22 and the Wild Things will open at home against the Avon, Ohio, team (yet to be named) that will be managed by John Massarelli. The Avon team is currently holding a name-the-team contest. I wonder how many people will suggest the Avon Callings? Word is ownership wants a regional name, such as the Lake Erie Somethings or the Erie Somethings.
* Washington begins with a three-game home series, is off on Memorial Day and then heads to St. Louis for games at Gateway and River City. In past seasons, interdivision play didn't start until mid-June.
* The Wild Things will be at home every other weekend the entire season.
* For the first time since 2004, Washington will be on the road for the July 4th holiday, playing July 3-5 at Kalamazoo. In my opinion, the Wild Things' best home date is July 3. It always produces one of the top 2 or 3 crowds of the year.
* The Wild Things will be opposite high school football when they play at home Friday, Sept. 4 against Florence. It's the opening game in the season's final series.
* The Sunday, Sept. 6 season finale against Florence has a 2:05 p.m. start. That's probably not a good idea because the game could be opposite the Steelers' season opener. The game also is one of two home afternoon games, the other being a noon start June 23 against the Oakland County Cruisers.
Here is the link to the 2009 schedule (Note: the team called Midwest on the schedule will be the Oakland County Cruisers):
2009 Wild Things schedule.
posted by Chris Dugan at
6:56 PM
7 Comments:
Not home on Memorial Day.
Not home on Fourth of July.
Not home on Labor Day.
Three of the Wild Things biggest days.
Of course, those dates will also be big draws at other parks too.
Always thought the Florence Freedom, by rule, ought to be home on Fourth of July....like the Cowboys on Thanksgiving...
Where are the Oakland County Cruisers located? (City and State).
Also, how does this compare to 2008 in regard to road miles logged by the Wild Things?
I believe a team wears as the season goes on based on the number of hours spent traveling on the team bus.
According to Wikipedia,they are in Waterford Township,Michigan.It is near northern Detroit.
Here's my issue with the schedule:
East teams play West team six times during the season (3 home, 3 away).
Wild Things vs.
Gateway 5/26-5/28, 6/2-6/4
Riv.City 5/29-5/31, 6/5-6/7.
So. Ill 7/7-7/9, 7/20-7/22.
Evansville 7/10-7/12, 7/17-7/19.
Rockford 8/11-8/13, 8/18-8/20.
Windy 8/14-8/16, 8/21-8/23
Now, here's the problem--teams change as the season progresses.
Players get hurt, players get signed by ML organizations, sometimes completely changing the makeup.
Instead of playing a chronologically-balanced schedule, the Wild Things play all six Gateway games within 10 days, all the River City games within 10 days.
The Southern Illinois games are spread over 16 days, Evansville just 9 days.
Rockford & Windy City games all take place within 10 days of each other.
There's really no reason for the games not to be distributed over the two halves of the season.
The Oakland County Cruisers were supposed to play in Waterford twp...which is about 10-15 min north (and a little west) of the Palace of Auburn Hills (home of the Pistons).
However, the organization has already announced that due to problems aquiring land and permits etc. Stadium construction has still not begun and it is most likely that the Cruisers/Sliders will play at a College field or combination of "home fields" in the area.
Sounds like another brutal year for the Sliders.
The Cruisers announced they will be playing all home games in 2009 at Eastern Michigan University's Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich. The team will use the Midwest Sliders name for another year, then move to Waterford Township in 2010 and be renamed the Oakland County Cruisers.
Below is a link to Oestrike Stadium from Eastern Michigan's athletics homepage. The first thing you'll notice is the infield is a Pro Grass artificial surface while the outfield is grass. It appears as if the pitcher's mound also is fake grass, like in Chillicothe and Southern Illinois.
Eastern Michigan's stadium.
Chris, you are correct. Just like Chillicothe & So. Illinois, the entire infield--mound, homeplate area, etc.--is all ProGrass.
No dirt!
Great to be talking baseball.
Couldn't help but remember several Wild Things late rallies while sitting watching the BoSox pull one out last night!
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